Biking 10K Per (Week)Day


My daily work commute involves riding 5K (3.1) in the morning and another 5K in the evening.  In the grand scheme of things, when I saw everyone riding bicycles in Amsterdam, I never thought I would become one of “them.”  However, five and a half years after seeing “them” do it in Amsterdam, I too am doing it. 

Commuting by bicycle on a daily basis definitely has its ups and downs.  Weather is sometimes my mortal enemy – rain especially.  Cold weather turns me into a snot-nosed kid all over again.  The days in which Mother Nature graces me with her presence find me slain before I even get on the bike; I’m out of energy before the wheels make one revolution.  Yet, for better or for worse, the 10K happens. 

Now that the weather is changing for the better, I find that the commute is a little more pleasant.  I hear birds chirping in the morning and evening.  I can see dramatic changes in the sky during the evening.  My pace is slower because I’m not trying to hurry up and get out of the cold weather nor am I trying to maintain a pace that will keep me warm.  My nose doesn’t run.  I see tadpoles again darting about in the canals/ditches along my route. Pretty soon, I hope to see those flowers blooming in the canals/ditches.  Best of all will be the increased exposure to Vitamin D(elight)!